Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wasn't close with Jerry Buss

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was there with Pat Riley and Magic Johnson on stage to welcome Jerry Buss into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, but there's no question that Buss' affection for the other two men exceeds his for Abdul-Jabbar in a substantial way.

Abdul-Jabbar sheds some light on his relationship with the Lakers' owner in his "Cap's Corner" column on the Lakers' team website:

My relationship with Dr. Buss was not a very close one while I played for the Lakers. It was not distant but I felt that he was very much into his friends and lifestyle and that kept us from getting to be close. I always felt that Dr. Buss was generous and fair to the players and appreciated the respect he showed when it was time to deal with the players.

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